


Time To Return The Favour

by letsgooutintherain



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Flashback, Gen, mostly non-graphic description of the scene of a massacre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-03
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-04-24 14:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4922950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/letsgooutintherain/pseuds/letsgooutintherain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ed had only wanted to get rid of his report, instead he finds himself trying to help Mustang out of a flashback.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time To Return The Favour

**Author's Note:**

> It's 3. October. Happy FMA-day everyone :)

"Hawkeye is still in, but I'm sure you can go ahead, she just needed him to sign a few documents," Havoc said, trying to look productive while relishing his coffee.

Ed just shrugged, strode through the outer office and, without knocking, opened the door to Mustang's office.

The view made him stop dead in his tracks. Mustang sat crouched in his seat, Hawkeye kneeling before him a hand on his arm, her face only a couple of inches from his. It might have been intimate, if it wasn't for the blankness in the colonels eyes and the worry on Hawkeye's face when she looked to the door, which Ed instantly closed behind him.

"I don't know," she said, before he could ask what was wrong, "I found him like this, retreated into his mind." She returned her concentration to Mustang, "No word to anybody, not even the team," she said, "If he is seen like this..."

Ed tried to find words, tried to understand what this was, but then just nodded once. "I'll clear the office." He dropped his report on the desk, turned around and got back into the outer office.

Something about the way he left, without banging doors, without having shouted at the colonel, made everyone look up.

"Get out of here. Get out and make sure nobody comes in," Ed said as calm as he could.

Breda and Havoc stared dumbfounded at him, Fuery's eyes widened and even Falman looked surprised. Fuck, Ed hated to to this, "That's an order!"

Now they looked shocked. No wonder, he had never pulled rank on them before. It lasted for a second, then they stood up, silently and determined.

"I'll have an eye on the door. The rest will be in the mess hall," Havoc said and closed the door behind them.

The inner office door clicked and he turned to see Hawkeye's worried eyes.

"Can you get through to him?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I'm not even sure if he listens to me." She sighed. "I know that look. I have seen it plenty of times in Ishval. I see it in my own eyes when I look in the mirror." She sounded perfectly calm, professional and Ed could only marvel at her for that.

"Perhaps you could try," she continued, "You don't share his history. You might have a chance."

Ed gulped. He would have thought if anyone could reach the colonel, it would be Hawkeye. She had gone through the same hell, they understood each other. The idea that this could be a hindrance hadn't even crossed his mind.

On the other hand... If he would encounter something like human transmutation again, he wouldn't tell Al. They had both seen what it meant, with Nina, with their own mother... Al didn't need to know something like this, because it would always be personal. 

"I'll talk to him," he muttered, "Don't expect anything though."

He didn't wait for her reply and gripped the door handle, only to be stopped by a hand on his arm.

"You might want to look at the report he has read to get an idea what caused this." She looked torn, "I would have done it, but chances are good it might trigger me too."

Ed took a deep breath, nodded again and slipped into the inner office.

Mustang had his head in his hands, but hadn't moved otherwise. Slowly Ed made his way over to the desk. 

"Mustang?" 

No reaction.

Ed took another breath, then snatched the report from the table and scanned the open page. He could feel himself blanch.

Some pro Amestrian group had massacred one of the western refugee camps. The page contained witness reports of the scene. The descriptions were not clinical, but the unfiltered version of someone who was confronted with that horror for the first time. 

The details made Ed's insides churn. Blood in the sand, flies, decaying flesh, mutilated bodies...

Slowly Ed put the report down and looked at Mustang. This must have brought him straight back to Ishval, but as far as Ed could tell this wasn't a classic flashback. It lasted too long and Mustang was too still. As if he wasn't there. Then again he wasn't an expert. His experience was limited to the sort of flashbacks he got himself.

"Mustang," Ed started, then hesitated, not sure where to go from here. He had been at a similar point, back when Mustang had found him after the human transmutation.

Ed wasn't sure if this was the same, but he remembered the stupor that had surrounded him. This might be far from what was really going on in Mustang's head, but a better idea wouldn't present itself.

Well, time to return the favour.

"Okay, bastard. I've had enough of this!" To his surprise that got him a reaction. Mustang twitched lightly and lifted his gaze. His eyes were void. "You told me once to suck it up and start walking forward. Now you have to move your lazy arse and do the same!"

Mustang blinked and there was something like awareness there. He blinked again and the corner of his mouth twitched up in the weak imitation of a smile. "I'm sure I put it more eloquently, Fullmetal." He didn't sound like himself. There was no smugness, no superiority, none of the things that never failed to rile Ed up. Instead it drew a startled laugh out of him.

"It worked, didn't it?" He tried to say it casually, but he was pretty sure he failed. The relief was too evident in his voice. Mustang still looked at him, for once without his mask, lips pressed into a thin line, breathing faster than it should have been.

Ed felt at a loss for words. He should say something, but his mind was blank. What was he supposed to do now?

Mustang's gaze flickered to his desk, and then away and to the door.

"Hawkeye is out there, the rest of the office is empty," Ed said, before Mustang could ask, "And I brought you the report from my latest mission. It was hideously boring." 

The distraction seemed to work somewhat, because Mustang nodded and his masks slipped in place. 

Before Mustang could do anything else Ed snatched the report about the massacre from the desk.

"Tell me what to let out, I will sum this up for you."

Mustang stared at him dumbfounded. It was the most alive expression Ed had seen on him since he had entered the office. He opened his mouth once, twice, then shook his head. 

"Just stick to the facts and leave the details." He sounded slightly hoarse. Ed nodded and strode out, for once not slamming the door shut. 

Hawkeye looked up from her desk, but the worry lines eased when he smiled. 

"I think he will be okay, just give him a bit to sort himself out."

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are my own.


End file.
